Pastel Velvet Wonderland. Rochas AW16

March 4, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Alessandro Dell’AcQua‘s woman and his Rochas collection is pure, pure sweetness for the eye. The wide range of pastel colours, from pink to green, looked feminine and non-chalant when styled with contrasting ankle socks. Floral-embroidered slip dresses looked chic and not so banal with the lace shirts under. Also, this collection was an ode to velvet, Dell AcQua’s current obsession – unexpectedly, it looked extremely soft and frivolous, when worn with green fur coats and the season’s must-have high platform pumps. I adore this collection – and I can openly confess that it’s my favourite Rochas outing delivered by Alessandro to date (and already two years passed from his appointment)!

Punk, Belts and SoHO. AF Vandevorst AW16

February 25, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

A.F. Vandevorst showed its new collection in London, which felt quite unexpected, as the designers behind the Belgian brand – An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx – used to be the regulars at Paris Fashion Week. But the city was a pretty obvious choice for them, though. The punk spirit, which was the theme behind the collection, is reflected in British music history in the best possible way – and the fish-net tights revived the old, clubbing attitude of SoHO, before it became a trendy, hipster district. The faces of the models were splattered with red, while some of them wore restrictive belted helmets made of leather or velvet. To a surprise of many, velvet had a bright moment this season at Vandevorst, looking good on platform boots and extra-large maxi dress. Also, the deconstructed skirts and pantalons had a rebellious twist, looking quite fierce with red suede stompers. Punk and rock’n’roll have been present in the label’s codes from the very beginning, and to a large extend this collection was a good occasion to highlight that fact – even though I will always consider A.F. Vandevorst as a much more Paris-based label. Whatever they say about the British subculture present in these clothes, the chic, French decadence is oozing from every corner – and I hope this won’t change.

Blue Witches. Comme des Garçons SS16

October 10, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Rei Kawakubo is bored with “fashion”. That’s why her Comme des Garçons collection for spring-summer 2016 is so different. “Blue Witches” (the title of the collection) was created out of shapes that resembled coats and dresses – however, the silhouettes covered with metres of synthetic velvet, thousands of feathers and prickly fabric that resembled the back of a hedgehog looked peculiar. The cloudy, red wigs styled by Julien D’ys gave me goosebumps, as they had a horror-film vibe about them. If talking of Comme des Garçons and Rei, you can’t say whether you liked or disliked the collection. These clothes (if you even dare to call them “clothes”) are so out of the standards that it’s to some extend pointless to even review them. The only thing left is to a) interpret them and b) wear them, with attitude and understanding.

Kitsch Vs. Neutral

March 2, 2013June 25, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

There is a new fight between two trends in Paris! Simple or Kitsch? Strong colours or beige and creme? Flowers, jewels, some kind of LOVE signs or shirling and leather? In this post I will cover four collections- Lanvin and Balmain that are classified as kitsch and Rick Owens and Nina Ricci as neutral and simple. So lets start maybe with something calm for eye, Nina Ricci. Katia and Marielle Labèque performed “Two Movements for Two Pianos” by Philip Glass on side by side grand pianos in the middle of a huge runway covered with old red carpets, giving a romantic feeling. Indeed, the collection was as romantic as the music that these two artists produced!The collection was a bit sporty but still very elegant. Everything was kept in simple colours hat are still eye caching- red, white, beige and black! My favourite look was for sure the dress with a bustier with mink fur on the top that gave a slightly different look!Now it’s the time for other collection are pretty liked, and was very simple in lines and cuts, Rick Owens. These hilarious hairstyles the models had were so great! I think that Owens is always winning with other designers, with we are taliking about hairstyles. Rick used a lot of creme and white shirling fur on jackets and coats. There were some minimalistic column like silk dresses, ruffles on tops, leather gloves. But it wasn’t, you know, much of it. Rick Owens showed this season a sensitive beauty of ready-to-weat clothes!And now it’s the time for kitsch in Paris. I think, Alber Elbaz was sick at the moment of designing the collection. Everything was so not matching. Without a form. A fail! Why did the Lanvin designer, put these horrible necklaces with hearts and pearls with a horrible signs like “YOU” or “LOVE” or something else? How is it possible to spoil a nice long silk beige dress with some kind of a furry scarf and jewellry that looked like from a petrol station? Why? It wasn’t even luxury. It was passe. Sorry Alber Elbaz, but that was a very poor collection. P.S. What the hell did these bugs were doing on a ruffled top?(This post is going to end soon :D) Balmain with Olivier Rousteing did a good job. Let’s say it straight- Balmain can’t be easy and minimalistic. It should be always luxury, ornamental and kitsch! This time Olivier chose new colours like emerals, red and violet. Most of clothes were velvet and had a really decorated details. I really liked all the structured tops and skirts. I liked the green suede jacket that M. Frackowiak wore. And the big belts were really eye catching! It was altogether sexy and sophisticated, just as it should be at Balmain! I’m clapping! So after these four collections I should say that I loved Nina Ricci and Balmain. Rick Owens was good, but a bit classy (for Rick of course) and Lanvin was horrible… So there is 2-2 for both of these categories! As we know from New York, Milan and london, luxury and ornamental clothing is back for good, but a little bit of minimalism is always the best!

Unusual. Maison Martin Margiela AW13

March 1, 2013June 25, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Maison Martin Margiela as always went to a fashion lab and made a really, really good collection. What was the thing that was most buzzed about? Of course these totally not normal hand cuffs, that were over big and painted and the a special for all girls with long hair- a hair pocket on the back of nearly all jackets and tops! The trousers had some cool colour lines on the sides giving it a a bit more sophisticated look!

The last look is as always most special at Margiela- totally gold dress from a fabric that reminds me of a kind of heavy harpet a velvet or window cloth… However it looked stunning! There was also a version of a patchwork sweater. MMM never disapoints. And if it does (rarely) it’s always risktaking and experimental!